VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center celebrated its 50th anniversary last Thursday night, raising $6 million and announcing a new endowment to help minority cancer patients access treatment.

More than 600 guests attended the Golden Gala at Main Street Station, featuring Grammy winner Jon Batiste and his wife, Emmy-winning writer and cancer survivor Suleika Jaouad. The couple participated in a fireside chat discussing Jaouad’s cancer journey and the importance of accessible clinical care, followed by a live performance from Batiste.

The Massey Family Foundation announced a $100,000 lead gift to establish the Suleika Jaouad Endowed Fund for Access and Equity in Cellular Therapies and Transplantation. The fund will work to increase bone marrow donor diversity and enhance support for minority patients seeking transplants.

“This endowment from the Massey Family Foundation is a testament to the importance of building a health care system that serves everyone, regardless of their background,” said Becky Massey, representing the Foundation.

“We’re making things happen today for the actual impact and treatment of care tomorrow,” said Robert A. Winn, director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at Massey.

John McCarty, medical director of the Cellular Immunotherapies and Transplant Program at Massey, said the fund “marks a new chapter in our efforts to ensure that every patient, regardless of their background, has access to the lifesaving care they need.”

The cancer center, established in 1974 at what was then